Packaging container



June 11, 1968 5. v. FORREST PACKAGING CONTAINER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 14, 1967 A 5 Z//.. H M W V fm 1 \7 Lu .MO F

June H, 1968 ca. v. FORREST 3,387,754

' PACKAGING CONTAINER Filed April 14, 1967 a Sheets-Sheet 2 June 1968 G. v. FORREST PACKAGING CONTAINER 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 14, 1967 3,337,764 FAQKAGING QQNTAINER Gerald V. Forrest, Thurlaston Holt, Thurlaston, England Filed Apr. Ji l, 1%7, Ser. No. 639,975 4 Claims. (Cl. 22F-3'7) AESTFAQT (BE THE DISCLGSURE A packaging container comprising an outer carton with an inner lining bag, the latter being shaped at one end and being gummcd to end flaps of the carton so that the material is positivel guided and folded when the carton it closed, and the bag being shaped at the other end so that it can be positively folded down and disposed and stowed at the bottom of the container when end flaps of the carton are closed at this bottom. The bag is gummed to the side walls of the carton so that it can be collapsed and erected with the latter.

This invention relates to collapsible containers of the kind comprising an outer carton of rigid or semi-rigid material with a lining of flexible sheet material, and is aimed at providing a container of this type which can be economically produced and assembled, and is of improved utility and efficiency, particularly for storage or shipment of pasty or fluent-solid commodities.

To this end, the lining of the container is constituted as a bag or envelope of a stout but flexible non-permeable material, for example sheet polypropylene, which is permanently closed at one end but open at the other. The carton has four side wall panels with hinged end flaps and the main body of the bag is adhesively connected to these panels so that it will be erected and collapsed in concert with the carton. The closed end of the bag or envelope is shaped to provide a peak which can be collapsed to one side when the container is erected, and thus stowed neatly in the bottom of the container when the end flaps of the carton are folded over to close this bottom. The open end of the bag or envelope is gummed or cemented to the end flaps at the upper end of the container in such a way that this part of the bag or envelo e will participate in the folding over of these end flaps, when the latter are closed down, and their folding will be positively dictated to provide a neat and compact disposal of the bag material. At the same time this open end part of the bag will be designed to ensure that the closed bag will be proof against escape of packaged material from the corners.

Embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic drawing illustrating the production of bags used in a first embodiment of the invention,

FIGURE 2 illustrates the assembly of one of these bags on a carton blank,

FIGURE 3 is a perspective illustration of the erection of the assembled container, with the latter inverted,

FIGURE 4 is a perspective illustration of the upper part of FIGURE 3 showing the bottom of the bag in its final condition prior to closure of the bottom of the carton,

FIGURE 5 is a perspective illustration of the upper part of the container of FIGURES 2 to 4, shown during closure, after charging with contents,

FIGURE 6 is an illustration similar to that of FIGURE 1 but concerned with a modified design of bag,

FIGURE 7 corresponds to FIGURE 2 but shows the individual bags of FIGURE 5 in the assembly process,

FIGURE 8 is an illustration similar to FIGURES 1 and 6 but showing a third embodiment of bag in this invention, and

3,387,754 Patented June 11, 1968 FIGURE 9 corresponds to FIGURES 3 and 7 and shows the assembly of this third embodiment.

The container of the first embodiment illustrated in the drawings comprises, when assembled, an outer rectangular carton, generally designated 1 and made of stout cardboard, and an inner lining bag 2 of a strong, nonpervious and flexible sheet material, preferably a plastics material. The carton 1 is made up of four like, rectangular side wall panels 3 which are connected to one another through weakening fold lines, and each of them is provided with upper and lower end flaps 4 and 5 which are similarly hinged to their parent panels 3.

The bag 2 is of a special shape, and this can be seen from FIGURE 1 which diagrammatically illustrates the pattern in which a series of bags 2 can be cut from a length of flattened tubing, for example of polypropylene. Thus, each bag has a central body portion 6 of a width slightly in excess of that of two side-by-side carton panels 3 and of a length a little more than the length of one such panel. At one end the central body portion 6 of the bag is adjoined by a lower end portion '7 in the shape of a triangle with a height approximately twice the length of an end flap 5.

At the other end the body portion 6 is adjoined by an upper end portion 8 in the shape of a truncated triangle, i.e. a triangle similar to that of end portion 7 but truncated to about half the height of the latter.

The sides of the lower end portion 7 are closed by sealing seams 9, but the sides of end portion 3 are left open. The side edges of body portion 6 are, of course, closed. If stock from which the bags 2 are produced is provided, as it may be, by a doubled-over strip of material or by two superimposed strips, then the side edge or edges will be closed by heat sealed seams, at least to the extent required to provide the body portion 6 of each bag with closed side edges.

FIGURE 2 illustrates the assembly of each bag 2, tabricated as indicated above, with a carton 1. This carton is laid out with the panels 3 side-by-side, and suitable adhesive for cementing of the carton to its lining bag is applied to each of the panels 3 and to each of the end flaps 4. In the illustration in FIGURE 2, the adhesive area on each panel 3 has been denoted 10 and it will be observed that this is, in every case, spaced from the defining longitudinal edges or fold lines 11 by an ungummed strip 12. Otherwise it is important that the gummed area 10 shall form a complete enclosure around each panel 3. In FIGURE 2 it has been assumed that this adhesive is applied in the form of a continuous strip around the panel, but this is merely by way of illustration of one manner in which the adhesive can be applied. It could, and perhaps more conveniently, be applied over the whole of each panel 3, with the exception of the longitudinal marginal strips 12, as in the case illustrated in FIGURE 7.

Similar adhesive is also applied to each of the upper end flaps 4, in this case as a triangle 13 which is symmetrically disposed on the flap concerned, with its base adjacent the fold line 14 between this flap and the parent side wall panel 3.

The assembly of a bag 2 with a pre-cemented carton blank 4 is effected as illustrated in FIGURE 2. As will be seen from the latter, this bag is laid on a pair of sideby-side panels 3- and their associated end flaps. The portion 6 of the bag registers with the two side-by-side panels 3 but slightly overlaps the side edges of these two panels. This, combined with the adhesive-free areas 12, ultimately compensates for strains on the bag when the assembled and charged container is erected (see below) and avoids tearing of the bag from the carton.

The shaped end 7 of the bag overlaps the corresponding pair of end flaps 5 and projects beyond the outer edges of the latter, whilst the open end portion 8 of the bag overlies the adhesive areas 13 and is secured to the underlying flaps 4 by this adhesive.

It will also be observed that the bag 2 is disposed on the side-by-side panels 3 with the corners 15 defining the base of end portion 8 overlapping the hinge lines 14 of the panel end flaps 4. These corners 15 will provide a leak seal in the final closed package (see below).

The next stage of the assembly is the folding over of the righthand pair of wall panels 3 on to the carton-bag laminate at the lefthand side of FIGURE 2. The adhesive areas on this righthand pair of panels and flaps are secured to the upper side of the bag 2. The assembly is completed by the attachment together of the hitherto-free edges of the outer panels 3 by a strip of sealing tape such as indicated at 16 in FIGURE 3.

In this condition the container is flat and can be stacked in quantity without requiring a great deal of space, but the individual containers can be quickly assembled and filled, in the manner now to be described.

In the first place the collapsed container can be opened up by applying pressure to two sides of the closed laminate. The bag 2 being secured to all four side wall panels 3, will expand in sympathy and take the form of the ensuing rectangular carton, whereafter the closed. bottom of the bag is to be folded in.

The performance of the infolding is illustrated in FIG- URES 3 and 4 of the drawings where it is seen that during the actual performance of erection of the container by pressure applied across a diagonal the peak 17 of the end portion 7 can be biassed over towards one corner of the erected container (see FIGURE 3) and will be flattened down neatly in one corner of the erected container as seen in FIGURE 4. In this latter the end flaps are shown open to expose the bottom 7 of the bag 2, but it will be appreciated that, in practice, the folding down of these flaps 5 can be used to dictate the folding over and stowage of peak 17. When so closed down, the second pair of flaps 5 to be so closed can be sealed by a strip of adhesive tape to close the bottom of the container.

The latter is now ready for filling with the intended commodity, for example syrup, flour, or indeed any viscous liquid, paste or other material, to which end it will be inverted to bring the open end portion 8 of the bag uppermost. After filling, the container is closed by folding down the upper end flaps 4 in two successive opposite pairs. FIGURE 5 shows the situation after the first such pair has been folded down, and it will be observed that the portion 8 of the bag there visible at the rightband side may be regarded as composed of a triangular portion 8' secured by adhesive to the parent end flap 4, with a portion 8", which is not gummed to the end flaps folded down over the underlying half of 3'. It will also be observed that this leaves a turned in corner piece safeguarding this corner against inadvertent escape of fluent commodities from the corner. It will be appreciated that the structure shown is reproduced at the non-visible side of the other upstanding flap 4.

To complete the closure the two upstanding panels are folded down together and it will be noted that this produces a neat and unobtrusive folding of the end portions 8 of the bag.

A second embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIGURES 6 and 7, corresponding respectively to FIG- URES l and 2. The principles implied in this case follow those of the preceding embodiment closely, with the exception that further material is severed from the upper end of the bag. Thus, referring to the diagram of FIG- URE 6, it will be observed that the shape chosen for the individual bags 2 is the same as that used in the arrangement of FIGURES 1 and 2, with the exception that a further central and triangular portion 18 is cut away when the bag is initially formed, thus eliminating the connecting and ungummed parts 3" of the assembled bag (see FIGURE 5). Consequently it enables the upper end flaps 4 to be closed down independently of one another.

In this case also it will be observed that the leak-proof corner overlaps of the bag are catered for, and that FIG- URE 7 shows gumming of the side wall panels 3 over their complete areas, once again with the exception of the narrow marginal expansion-permitting strips 12.

The third embodiment of FIGURES 8 and 9 is also similar to the preceding embodiments, but in this case with the exception that the bag end portion 8 is cut off square. This provides for simpler fabrication of the bag, but leaves a certain amount of excess bag material to be disposed of when the end flaps 4 are closed down.

I claim:

1. A collapsible container comprising an outer carton constituted by four side wall panels hingedly connected together and each having a foldable end flap at each end thereof, and an inner lining bag of flexible material which, when collapsed flat and assembled on the collapsed carton, has a body portion of a width slightly exceeding that of two side wall panels collapsed side-by-side and of a length equal to that of a side wall panel, and end portions adjoining said body portion the lower end portion of said bag being of triangular shape and having its side edges permanently closed, the upper end portion of said bag being of a length not exceeding that of an adjacent carton end flap and being open-ended, the body portion of said bag being adhered to said carton side wall panels, the upper end portion of said bag being attached to the corresponding carton end flap by a triangular adhesive area symmetrically disposed on this flap with its base adjacent the hinge line between this end flap and the parent side wall panels and its apex adjacent the outer edge of the flap, and the lower end portion of said bag being unattached to said carton.

2. A collapsible container according to claim 1, in which the upper end portion of said bag is of trapezoidal shape with its longer parallel side substantially in register with the lower edges of the adjacent pair of side-by-side carton end flaps, and with its shorter parallel side of a length substantially equal to the width of an end flap and disposed symmetrically in relation to said pair of carton end flaps.

3. A collapsible container according to claim 1, in which the side of said upper end portion of the bag adjacent the hinge line is spaced outwardly from said lower edges of the adjacent pair of side-by-side carton end flaps.

4. A collapsible container according to claim 1, in which the upper end portion of the bag, in its flattened condition, is in the shape of two side-by-side triangles, one symmetrically disposed on each end flap of the adjacent pair of side-'by-side carton end flaps.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 695,273 3/1902 Birnie et a1. 1,517,964 12/ 1924 Drysdale. 3,132,789 5/1964 Forrest.

DAVID M. BUCKENEK, Primary Examiner, 

